A little simpler and smaller than the fore and aft engine that Rudy Kouhoupt also made and donated, this model makes for a nice looking marine steam engine. This small engine would have typically been used to power a small boat or launch. It is self-starting, meaning that it starts running as soon as air pressure is applied, no matter where the pistons and crankshaft are. Watch the engine running in the video below.
One of the first large donations to the Miniature Engineering Craftsmanship Museum was the collection of famed model engine builder Rudy Kouhoupt. Rudy’s niece, Susan Alvaro, was kind enough to donate his entire lifetime engine collection for display at the grand opening of the museum in 2006. After retiring as a chemist, Rudy had a second career building engines and writing magazine articles documenting the process. Many people have built his models, but we have the honor of displaying all of his original prototypes. Rudy’s collection includes scale model engines, locomotives, tractors and more. Additionally, thirteen of Rudy’s model steam engines are hooked up to run on compressed air to demonstrate their function.
